What are
What are edible mushrooms?
Edible mushrooms are all those that, inserted in the diet of a healthy subject and not suffering from particular uncomfortable conditions, do not generate any type of adverse reaction; in this group are also inserted those with a pleasant taste or in any case not bad, while "disgusting" are excluded.
As a matter of informative correctness we recall that, in addition to the edible ones, in nature you can find inedible mushrooms, both toxic, non-fatal, poisonous and deadly; this topic is however the subject of a separate article: "Poison poisoning".
Also read: Amanita phalloides.
deepening
More generally, we recall that mushrooms are creatures belonging to an independent biological kingdom. Characterized by heterotrophy - which draw nourishment from the outside, like animals - should not be confused with vegetables - instead autotrophic, that is capable of self-generating their own nourishment.
The chemical content of edible mushrooms can change significantly from one species to another. Generally speaking, however, it could be defined that these foods bring few calories, deriving mainly from proteins - with a respectable biological value - and from carbohydrates - albeit in a variable relationship; fats are generally scarce. Fresh or frozen ones contain a lot of water and typically have an excellent level of prebiotic molecules; these are called fibers but are actually mainly made up of chitin - see also: Chitosan. Edible mushrooms - more certain than others - bring significant amounts of vitamins and mineral salts; particularly interesting for vegans is the level - though variable among the species - of bioavailable vitamin D (calciferol). The intake of selenium, phosphorus and potassium is generally excellent.
Edible mushrooms lend themselves to the diet of all healthy subjects, with gastric diseases, overweight and even those affected by the diseases of the spare. They may have small subjective contraindications, in particular with the presence of an irritable colon. They also carry purines in medium quantities and are not without phenylalanine amino acid; unlike those suffering from hyperuricemia and phenylketonuria, for healthy subjects this is not a problem.
Moreover, contrary to what many believe, despite being labeled as "edible", these too are not entirely harmless. Ultimately, even edible mushrooms can contain toxins; the difference with respect to the harmful ones lies in the concentration, in their real toxic potential for humans and in thermolability. Pregnant women should avoid consuming raw mushrooms and, in any case, limiting them to one-off, in small portions. The same applies to those with liver disease. It should also be borne in mind that, despite the incessant studies of mycologists, many of the most used edible mushrooms contain very many components which still do not know the function or its impact on human metabolism.
The gastronomic application of edible mushrooms is diversified in the most diverse processes and preparations. Some can be eaten raw - with the above recommendations - others must necessarily be cooked. In the next paragraphs we will go into detail.
It is important to point out the importance of consuming only mushrooms of safe provenance, possibly traceable, to avoid unpleasant incidents which, at best, would be limited to unpleasant gastrointestinal reactions - in the worst cases, can lead to serious physical damage and even death. Moreover, harvesting mushrooms in the wild often does not take into account their potential to retain pollutants; this is true for everyone, but especially for those in the field who grow on the roadside, within the traditional disciplinary crops and in the vicinity of other contaminated areas - for example, industries.
What are they?
Classification of edible mushrooms to be included in the diet: Introduction
I want to clarify that:
Reading the following list of edible mushrooms does not give the reader any kind of specific competence in the selection, therefore in the collection, of wild mushrooms; in order to achieve this goal it is necessary to rely on structures and experts in the sector or, at least, to undertake a decidedly more detailed and specific training course .
Let's not forget also that some mushrooms are edible only in a certain phase of growth; past this time, they can become toxic and harmful. Just think of the Vescia di Lupo, to be consumed only if immature; when cut it must remain very white. A similar discourse for the closed coprino ( Coprinus comatus ), edible only if caught still open; the latter also requires you to immediately separate the hat from the stem and cook it in the very short term.
Some mushrooms then, become edible only after cooked. The best known case is that of the famous nail ( Armillaria mellea ), which has always been considered not only edible but also excellent, which nevertheless appears to be relatively toxic from raw and instead harmless - or so it seems - after boiling.
What are the most common edible mushrooms?
The most common edible mushrooms, respectively of the organic sub- forest Eumycota and the Basidiomycota division (for those with the classic "mushroom" shape) or Ascomycota (in the case of truffles) can be classified "vulgarly" as follows.
Did you know that ...
There are many edible mushrooms of foreign origin that are gradually gaining more and more importance also in Italy. Some are: shitake, as food, and Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi), due to its hypothetical medicinal properties.
Edible forest mushrooms
They are found on the trees, or rather, attached to the trunks - also called wood mushrooms. They are more often parasites or saprophytes.
The most common edible forest mushrooms are: the Tongue of ox ( Fistulina hepatica ), Diola rippled ( Sparassis crispa ), Polyporous sulfur ( Laetiporus sulphureus ), Polyporous scaly ( Polyporous squamosus ), Chiodino ( Armillaria mellea ), Ear of Judas ( Auricularia auriculajudae ), Agrea agaric ( Pluerotus ostreatus ) and Pioppino or Piopparello - also known as "famiole" ( Cyclocybe aegerita ).
Edible land and field mushrooms
They are on the ground; in general they are saprophytes and some of the "field" ones are cultivated.
- The most common edible earth mushrooms are: wild agaric ( Lepista saeva ) and violet agaric ( naked Lepista ).
- The edible field mushrooms are: Agaricus arvensis, Agaricus augusta, Prataiolo or champignon ( Agaricus silvicola ), Agaricus bitorquis, Gilded Steccherino ( Hydnum repandum ), Corno dell'abbondanza ( Craterellus cornucopioides ), Coprino ( Coprinus comiatus ), Morel ( Morchella esculenta ), Common morel ( Morchella vulgaris ), Bubbola maggiore ( Lepiota procera ) and Bubbola ( Lepiota rhacodes ).
Warning! An absolute criterion for reducing the risk of intoxication in the collection of field mushrooms is to discard those that are similar but dyed yellow, or that turn yellow if cut off at the base of the stem - such as Agaricus xanthodermus .
Boleti edible mushrooms
They are on the ground. They are symbionts and are found near certain plants.
Boleti (Genus B oletus ): they are the safest edible mushrooms to be collected both for the neophytes and for the most expert, since the cases of correlated death are statistically rare. The boleti can be recognized quite easily due to the spongy consistency inside the hat but, above all for the neophytes, it is advisable to collect only those having the inside of the yellow or brown hat, avoiding the orange ones or those painted red. Boleti edible mushrooms are: Porcino ( Boletus edulis ), Boleto baio ( Boletus badius ), Boleto dei larici ( B. elegans ), Boleto giallo or Pinorello ( Boletus luterus ), Boletus apendiculatus, Boleto with red foot ( Boletus erythropus ). The Borgotaro mushroom is among the most famous in Italy.
Others that share "more or less" the same habitat are: Orange Birch Boletus ( Leccinum verispelle ), Finferlo or Galletto or Chanterelle ( Chantarellus cibarius ) and Gambesecche ( Marasmius oreades ).
It is also the case to mention the Amanita caesarea, called "good egg", of the same genus of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world, but at the same time perhaps the most prized edible in absolute among the basidiomycetes. It is associated with the collection of this fungus the greatest number of deaths because, if the egg is still closed, it is very difficult to distinguish it from other poisonous amanites; just think that even when cutting, without being able to see the spores, it can be very difficult to recognize a good egg from a poisonous amanita.
Edible mushrooms Vesce di lupo
It is the group of fungi that contains the most dangerous edible species, since it is most often traced back to Amanita poisoning. Moreover, even the edible ones, if too mature or "passed", can give rise to intoxication reactions. To avoid this it is advisable to cut them in two lengthwise and check that they are white and not pigmented due to the presence of spores.
Did you know that ...
The edible but "passed" wolfsons - so full of spores - minced and applied as a pad, are very useful as a hemostatic remedy.
The Vesce edible wolf mushrooms are: Bovistea gigantea ( Langermannia gigantea ), Vescia minor ( Langermannia perlatum ), Calvatia utriformis and Calvatia excipuliformis .
Edible underground mushrooms
They are found in the subsoil and are symbionts; this is the case of white and black truffles ( Ascomycota biological division).
Nutritional Properties
Nutritional properties of edible mushrooms
Edible mushrooms do not fall into any of the VII fundamental foods.
Fresh or frozen they have a very low caloric intake, supplied mainly by carbohydrates, of mixed composition, and by proteins of good biological value; fatty acids are irrelevant.
The fibers, mostly represented by chitin - a molecule also produced by certain animals such as crustaceans - are contained in a fair amount. Edible mushrooms are cholesterol free and do not contain the molecules mainly responsible for scientifically diagnosable food intolerances, such as gluten, lactose and histamine. They have an average content of phenylalanine and purine amino acids.
As for vitamins, edible mushrooms contain a bit of everything - from water-soluble B-group to fat-soluble like vitamin A and D - but this is a very variable characteristic depending on the species. On the other hand, there are few foods of non- animal origin that contain biologically active vitamin D, which gives edible mushrooms a significant nutritional importance - especially for those who do not consume eggs, fish and offal. With regard to mineral salts, the levels of selenium, zinc, phosphorus and potassium are appreciable.
Diet
Role of edible mushrooms in the diet
Edible mushrooms lend themselves to most diets for healthy people even if, in case of pregnancy and breastfeeding, it is better to reduce the portion and frequency of consumption.
They have no contraindications for overweight and metabolic pathologies of the replacement. In normal portions, they are harmless even for those suffering from gastric diseases, while people suffering from irritable bowel may complain of flatulence, meteorism, abdominal tension and diarrhea. The dietary fibers they contain perform numerous beneficial functions for the organism, in particular the prebiotic one - essential for the health of the bacterial flora and therefore of the intestine - and modulator of fat absorption - chitin tends to sequester lipids and salts gallstones decreasing their absorption / resorption.
Vitamin D or calciferol is a very important nutrient for bone metabolism; contributes to the development of the skeleton, can help reduce the severity of degeneration in osteoporosis and is a determining factor for the functionality of the immune system etc.
Selenium is an essential constituent for endogenous antioxidant enzymes and supports glandular thyroid cells; also zinc is an extremely common protein cofactor in the body and therefore a determining factor for health.
Edible mushrooms have no contraindications for: celiac disease, lactose intolerance and histamine intolerance; should be taken in moderate amounts in the case of phenylketonuria and hyperuricemia.
It is advisable to avoid edible mushrooms caught in cultivated land and plantations with traditional regulations - for example in orchards - but also on the roadside and near industries, due to the potential retention of pesticides and pollutants. Attention to the presence of larvae, generally harmless after cooking, but still to be avoided.
They are free of limitations in the vegetarian and vegan diet - even raw food.
Kitchen
How are edible mushrooms cooked?
Some edible mushrooms, such as the famous champignons or champignons, porcini mushrooms and white truffles, are also excellent raw. In this case, obviously, a high level of freshness and hygienic-sanitary safety is required; we reiterate that, often, basidiomycetes caught in the wild are affected by larvae infestation and can retain high levels of pollutants.
The most used cooking methods for edible mushrooms are:
- Boiling: for raw edible edible fungi, such as nails
- In the pan: for most edible mushrooms, after cutting into strips or cubes; among the most widespread: chanterelles and pioppini
- Grilled
- Oven-baked gratin
- Frying: especially for the most tenacious wood mushrooms, such as the Pleurotus, which are also passed into the egg and breaded.
The favorite condiments are with extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic and parsley. However, there are several alternatives based on regional cuisine.
Edible mushrooms characterize various types of recipes: appetizers, side dishes and sauces for first courses.
To learn more: Can't you clean mushrooms? Find out how to do with our Video Recipe Do you already know how to clean mushrooms? »To learn more: It's time to prepare a fantastic risotto with mushrooms and hazelnuts»Bibliography
- Practical survival manual. Science and technique of survival - R. Mears - Gremese Editore - pag. 86:88.
